 鲜花( 2)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
记者的观察
The realities of real estate
1 b# u6 { y& O, v5 e" x$ ~" C/ ?7 M7 y8 I$ `# i0 K. }
Published: Friday, October 06, 2006 ; a& a& P& Q( j* C) F7 f
EDMONTON - With her toolbox in hand and overalls on, newcomer Lisa Laas feels she can conquer the plumbing world in Edmonton.$ x) l f. w- ^
" N; T& T3 u1 M* qThe 29-year-old plumber from Vancouver had no problem finding work in Edmonton with trades people high in demand in Alberta.3 J; M- b1 G# x+ v5 ]
# h/ _% _) D j3 x2 b$ W9 GShe moved here in December with dreams of being a homeowner, something she could never afford in Vancouver despite four years of saving her money for a down payment.
, m& I E i$ S" g( Y @
9 p4 w9 u" w: ^- C- dBut she didn't expect Edmonton's world of hot housing where the law of successful buying seems to consist of three elements: speed, cash and no conditions.! W% [5 v4 {1 q6 b; G
( a, c4 K# `. o8 [( U"It absolutely scared me," she says. "I moved here for a house, and all of a sudden a townhouse went from $105,000 to $155,000 and I'm going, 'Oh my gosh. I have to buy really quick.' I've seen it in Vancouver and now I'm starting to see it here and it's frustrating."
8 D6 _* u% {) @( G7 |& }6 s+ K2 d, Y9 E& M" L
Laas started looking in February. She had hoped to buy a house for $160,000, but soon realized she had to change her plans. A townhouse would have to do.
0 }. p- L+ } L7 i e5 K0 T9 U1 F$ \( Q0 h+ l' K3 Q g$ c! v
But she has lost out on four places since beginning her search for a house.9 \& k6 z; g) a4 t+ b% _# x
$ M9 A$ `. o9 N) L; h" ?; UShe's been outbidded, "out-offered" and "outconditioned."
. U! D0 v' B: I2 D0 ~8 b. Q$ Q" Q9 ~8 \9 [
One house, the one she really wanted in the northwest neighbourhood of Calder, went on the market at 4 p.m. and had multiple offers by 6 p.m. so Laas walked away. In two other instances, other buyers had fewer conditions on their bid to purchase a townhouse, so her offer was dismissed.
" k& M# i+ a% h- ?" i+ k& s. ?( I3 W4 z" `# u' I
Laas says she was in tears because of the experience. She has given up working with a real estate agent to look for a home. She says she's backed off the whole thing, but she keeps her eye open every now and then.
# d0 ]8 ^4 O+ W1 S# N, O0 G! V( r( x, B4 ~; s
Forty-five-year-old Cheryl Daly is also having a tough time finding an affordable home for her 12-year-old son and a 16-year-old daughter.5 F( b% d/ {, j& Z6 s9 o
9 g$ b" n" q$ w8 TShe left a 23-marriage and a 1,700-square-foot home last year. She works as an administrator and now rents a three-bedroom townhouse.( F! ]4 U3 K& h! g! Z' K6 I5 P
( N2 Z* W9 N% a( \7 r3 ~Back in April, she started looking for a home, something in the $170,000 range. "I would like to have a half duplex even, but with the prices and with my status, I know that's not realistic," she says.
3 ^" I* F! D9 p6 V; M1 ]% u$ ?) _3 y
So Daly has been checking out townhouses, but even that has been difficult for her.
+ O- p5 t" ~: R9 F" N |, R6 }/ b |) }6 ~7 o* s- Q# k ?
"The places, when they come up, if they're at a decent price, they're gone really quickly," she says, "so it's a matter of timing."9 K) L0 C% D8 @' g7 y
! k {2 U, J9 ?4 Z7 I
Time has not been her friend. Every month the prices of homes in Edmonton climb higher.- U" \' n2 S9 v' R$ _* i w
3 ?6 K( [. M5 Y, L( _5 [1 s3 ZAn average single dwelling unit in Edmonton sold for $316, 480 in August this year. An average townhouse, which includes the price of duplexes, sold for $262,327 in the same month. Last year in August an average townhouse sold for $175,922.
% o. b% t* E% Z( e# O. m. U/ K- `7 [* N7 R: c$ N- L/ [9 X
The president of the Edmonton Real Estate Board, Madeline Sarafinchan, says the hot market is tough for first-time homeowners and single people.
8 ?) ]- M) ^1 y
- J) L c9 d9 P$ M2 j: g"It's definitely making people think about what their options are," Sarafinchan says. "They're having to look at things that maybe are not as what they would have termed as desirable."
2 g7 v! ?, F% F! y) ~
& R0 l* G. F( s( w$ h. n8 C; @' tThat may mean sellers are not as open to "conditions" on offers as they used to be -- such as a house inspection before the deal is finalized. |
|